Everything You Need To Know About the New Nintendo Switch

If you spend more time at your local Gamestop than you do at the grocery store, there’s probably a very special date marked on your calendar; March 3, the release of the new Nintendo Switch. If this Friday can’t come soon enough for you, don’t worry, you’re not alone. In fact, this may one of the most hyped gaming consoles in recent memory. The Switch has been generating some significant buzz since its announcement last October, and following some late night appearances, Super Bowl spots, and teasers for upcoming Switch games, it looks like we’ve hit peak hysteria. Here’s what we know so far about Nintendo’s new system.

The Switch is set to launch on March 3rd at $299.99 and works as a hybrid system, meaning that it works both as mobile gaming device and as an at-home console. Users can plug the Switch right into their TV set-up as they would any other console, or take their games on the go with the included 6.2″, 32 GB tablet. The tablet can be removed from the main console and attached to a controller called ‘Joy Con’ taht can be split in half and attached to the sides of your device. If you’re looking to play some ‘one-on-one’ or ‘co-op’ gameplay with a friend, you can play against up to 8 other Switch players locally or attach multiple controllers into the tablet.

The Switch Joy Con allows you to reattach its components to the tablet for mobile use.

Similar to the PS4 and Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch has a ‘day one’ update, that allows users to access a number of features including tha abilities to link your Nintendo account to your profile, add friends, receive news, access the eShop, enabling SD card support, and connecting a My Nintendo Rewards program.

The system follow’s Nintendo’s Wii U release in 2012, which fell flat in terms of sales, selling a meme 13 million units compared its predecessor’s 100 million units. One of the major reasons for the Wii U’s struggles was that Nintendo had to split its attention between its console and portable offerings (Nintendo 3DS), without the help of third party support. The Switch seems like its combining these two arenas into one product to for manageability.

Considering that half of the Switch experience is mobile, you may be asking yourself about the handheld’s battery life. Nintendo is estimating that you’ll get between two and half to six hours of battery life per charge. Keep in mind that you could see an increase in battery life after adjusting brightness settings and playing less OS intensive games.

We’re sure to know a lot more after the release date, and if any of you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, be sure to let us know what you think!